The restrictive measures apply to financial, energy and defense sectors of the Russian Federation.
The European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2017. This is stated in the official EU statement.
The European Council recalls that restrictive measures are related to financial, energy and defense sectors, as well as dual-use goods.
The decision to renew the sanctions is due to the fact that the Minsk agreements on Ukraine were not fully implemented until December 31, 2015.
The first sanctions against Russia, the EU imposed in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Note that for the gradual abolition of sanctions against Russia earlier by Germany and Austria. These EU countries also bind sanctions with the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
Russia calls absurd is the relationship of sanctions with Minsk-2, as, according to Moscow, it is not a party to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
The lifting of sanctions against Russia also call Italy and some Eastern European countries.
